Happy Birthday, Dear Dude - A Sept 2010 PTR - 9/22 Trip Report Started p34

[swwake]

I called reservations and the nice lady told me that the PIN does not apply to Club Level. She said they do have a savanna view room available with the PIN code. I opted to stay with the CL, (mainly) for the Sunrise Safari and since we have already used the IPO quite a bit. For this trip, it's in the budget and we just want the experience.

I think if we didn't do CL at AKL, we'd switch to BLT.

So, being the accountant, I couldn't resist running the numbers. Here's what I got:
AKL savanna view - save 1107.20 (from our current reservation)
BLT theme park view - save 477.00

Both of these options also reduce our budget by 130.00 for the Sunrise Safari we wouldn't be doing, but I'm pretty sure we'd replace that with another expense somewhere.

I'll run these numbers by Chris, but I suspect we'll stick with our AKL CL reservation and continue to hope for free dining.

The nice CM on the phone advised me "...but you've got the right idea. Every time you see a discount or offer, you should call us to see if it can be added to your existing reservation. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you this time." Do you think that might be a little foreshadowing about free dining?

 

[MHTeacher]

Congrats on your 40% PIN, but too bad you couldn't use it for this upcoming trip.

We've never stayed CL, so I probably just don't get it, but I'd hate not to use a 40% PIN on a deluxe resort. Maybe something else will happen.

Ha Ha about how you would save an expense for sunrise safari if you didn't stay CL, but you'd probably replace it with another expense. That sounds just like us! As my husband likes to say, "Disney's going to get it out from you , one way or the other!"

 

[swwake]

Congrats on your 40% PIN, but too bad you couldn't use it for this upcoming trip.

We've never stayed CL, so I probably just don't get it, but I'd hate not to use a 40% PIN on a deluxe resort. Maybe something else will happen.

Ha Ha about how you would save an expense for sunrise safari if you didn't stay CL, but you'd probably replace it with another expense. That sounds just like us! As my husband likes to say, "Disney's going to get it out from you , one way or the other!"

Thanks for the congrats. Any other time, I think we'd take advantage of the PIN, but this one, we're fortunate to have the budget to afford it, and it's my husband's birthday. We are really looking forward to the snacks in the lounge, and will probably replace breakfast and at least a few snacks with food from the lounge. It will also be nice to have the cocktails there and will probably save us lots of money. I am not sure you can call it "saving" though, since we're actually paying for it. It's like that thing where the lady "saved" money because she bought something on sale that she wouldn't have bought otherwise, ya know?

We haven't stayed CL either, so I will have to let you know if it's worth the experience.

The code actually had me pricing out a quick weekend maybe with my daughter and niece for Pop Century. My niece is dying to go to Disney World. She hasn't been since she was 7. My daughter isn't too interested in it, but my niece would probably have more fun if my daughter went.
But it got to be over $2,000 and I decided to forget it.

 

[Native NYer]

Sorry you couldn't use the PIN for AKL CL. I was able to use my PIN for our GF CL reservation that we ditched because we bought DVC. From what I've read, AKL CL discounted rooms go really quickly because they're not much more than a savanna view room.

We saw the model BLT rooms (studio and 1 bedroom) at the Disney Dreams store at Roosevelt Field Mall last month and they're beautiful. In the event that you opt to go for the savings, the BLT studio is beautiful. But since you haven't done CL yet, I'd keep that. We loved CL at the Poly and CR.

 

[Circusgirl]

I don't know what's harder - not getting a pin code at all, or getting one that you can't quite use!

I have times booked in September and December with a 40% bounceback I got last December. It's the rock bottom rate for the Poly for both trips! I may not be able to swing both, but it's great to have the rate set.

You're smart to stay with your original plan!

 

[swwake]

Sorry you couldn't use the PIN for AKL CL. I was able to use my PIN for our GF CL reservation that we ditched because we bought DVC. From what I've read, AKL CL discounted rooms go really quickly because they're not much more than a savanna view room.

We saw the model BLT rooms (studio and 1 bedroom) at the Disney Dreams store at Roosevelt Field Mall last month and they're beautiful. In the event that you opt to go for the savings, the BLT studio is beautiful. But since you haven't done CL yet, I'd keep that. We loved CL at the Poly and CR.

I don't know what's harder - not getting a pin code at all, or getting one that you can't quite use!

I have times booked in September and December with a 40% bounceback I got last December. It's the rock bottom rate for the Poly for both trips! I may not be able to swing both, but it's great to have the rate set.

You're smart to stay with your original plan!

Even though I said I had decided not to use the PIN, I have really been mentally struggling with it. I talked to Chris about it a couple of times today, and he seems pretty indifferent to it. Tonight he said "if we booked it this way for the experience, we should keep it" (referring to the club level lounge and sunrise safari).

I'm so glad to see both of you saying it's a good idea to stick with our plan. I don't think we'll be disappointed. It's not like we can't go back in the future, and with Katie going to college, I think we can be more flexible if future PINs come along.

That's not to say the debate isn't still going on in my head. I was thinking that if free dining is released, it will be a moot point. But what if FD is offered and it can be combined with a PIN? I think we're back in the same boat!

 

[Flossbolna]

But what if FD is offered and it can be combined with a PIN? I think we're back in the same boat!

What a shame about the PIN! But I agree with the others, if you are after the experience, then keep your reservation at AKL CL!

And on the question of being able to combine PINs and other offers: so far it has never been possible! So don't worry about it. And if Free Dining (or possibly a general room discount code, which would work for you as well) came out, be prepared to get creative in using it with your reservation. AKL CL is very sought after and a code might only be aplied to certain nights of your reservation. They might have to split up your reservation.

 

[swwake]

What a shame about the PIN! But I agree with the others, if you are after the experience, then keep your reservation at AKL CL!

And on the question of being able to combine PINs and other offers: so far it has never been possible! So don't worry about it. And if Free Dining (or possibly a general room discount code, which would work for you as well) came out, be prepared to get creative in using it with your reservation. AKL CL is very sought after and a code might only be aplied to certain nights of your reservation. They might have to split up your reservation.

Oh that's a very good point. I will keep that in mind.

I'm getting a little discouraged about FD being offered. Haven't heard anything yet, and they have posted a 15-30% off offer for the summer, since the last offer ended last Saturday.

 

[Native NYer]

I hope you're able to get FD

 

[swwake]

Well, I posted a question over on the AKL thread and someone suggested a split stay. We could stay a few nights at AKL CL to get the safari and the CL experience, then switch to another resort.

I mentioned this option to Chris today, and he never really commented. Later this evening, he mentioned he'd like to explore the options. We talked about the fact that moving resorts could be difficult, since there is no resort-to-resort bus service and we'd have to cart our luggage. Then we realized that Chris will have a rental car on Friday of our trip (Day 3), and he could move us by car before or after his work day. So that problem was solved.

We narrowed it down to this:
- We wouldn't want to switch to an AKL savanna view room, after being spoiled with CL for a few nights.
- We really think we'd like a resort on the monorail.
- The Grand Floridian doesn't interest either of us (for some reason)

So, with inspiration from Meghan, I set off on an accounting frenzy. All of the options I looked at include 2 nights at AKL CL, followed by 4 nights at a new resort. I quickly realized that it's smarter to buy the full 7-day park-hopper passes with the AKL stay, because if you re-start your passes, the price goes up significantly, since they are heavily weighted toward the first couple of days.

These are the price savings between 6 nights AKL CL and the other option:
Contemporary, Club Level (assuming maybe the PIN can be applied to CL) - $9
Polynesian, Theme Park View - $198
Bay Lake Towers, Theme Park View - $360
Contemporary, Theme Park View - $387
Contemporary, Bay Lake View - $495
Bay Lake Towers, Standard View - $536
Polynesian, Garden View - $589

So we looked at these, and went to AllEars and looked at the photos of the rooms. We checked out the availability of counter service at each resort.

We are going back to wondering how much time will be taken out of our park-touring or other activities with the move. So Chris asked me to ask you all what your thoughts are. If you've ever changed resorts mid-trip, did you feel that it added to your experience or took away from it, or neither?

At this point, we haven't made a decision. We're just gonna think on it. While we're thinking, of course, the room availability for the PIN may go away.

I know opinions are like noses, but I'm interested in your input. Chris was leaning heavily toward the Poly at first, but then thought maybe it would be too much like AKL and thought we may want something drastically different. I was leaning toward BLT, but I'm not sure it's any better than the Contemporary, and it seems to be quite a hike to the monorail and food options.

 

[lildamo]

I've never done a split stay but I've heard that the hotel will take care of transferring your luggage to the new resort and so you don't have to worry about that.

BLT would be my choice, but I just really like the way they've designed it. I've been very impressed with all the pictures!

 

[Dancegrl624]

So glad I could be your inspiration to go crazy with Disney math!! I've never done a split stay, but I've known other DISers that have done it. It didn't really seem like much of a hassle for them. Since you'll have a car for that day, it shouldn't be too bad. The Poly is definately my dream resort (along with the BC) but if you think it will be too much like AKL, skip it. I love the look of BLT and you can walk to MK from there. There's my 2 cents!

 

[Flossbolna]

I have often thought about a split stay, but never did it. I just like this idea of feeling at home in one place.

But I can tell you that the Poly is beautiful and while it has a similar theme, I think it still feels very different from AKL in my opinion, mainly because of its location. But be aware that the Poly's rooms are much larger, so if this is your first hotel, you might feel a bit cramped at AKL.

 

[Circusgirl]

I've done quite a few split stays. There are a few hours lost in packing, moving, and unpacking, and a little disruption from being between rooms on moving day. Looking back, I never regretted the decision or felt like it was too much of a hassle.

The Polynesian is my favorite of all the resorts on the Monorail. The grounds are beautiful, the rooms are huge and the little boat to the MK is one of my favorite rides! I've mostly stayed garden view, but I can imagine that Theme Park View would be incredible. One of the nice things about the Poly is that the garden view rooms have great views too, with different options depending on which longhouse you're in. Fiji has water views from the GV rooms, either of the marina, or the lagoon looking toward the GF. I've settled on Tokelau as my favorite location. I love leaving the longhouse in the morning and walking down the beach. Ahhhh....just thinking about it makes me happy.

 

[MHTeacher]

We have done a split stay a few times. Disney will transfer you luggage for you, but if you're going to have a rental car, I would just suggest moving it yourself. I tend to like things done on my time schedule, not Disney's.

We've never stayed at the Contemporary or BLT, but we love the Poly. It is the most relaxing resort. In my opinion, it isn't like AKL at all.

 

[Native NYer]

We did a split stay in 2008 (Poly and CR). We have another split stay for August (BLT and BWV). It's super easy to switch resorts. Bell services will move your luggage for you. I would recommend purchasing all of your tickets on the first part of your stay and just doing room only for the second part. The longer your passes, the less per day.

We loved having two different experiences, even though both were monorail resorts. The CR can't be beat for convience. We LOVED the walkway to the MK. But, as you know, I LOVE the Poly. I don't think you can go wrong with any of your choices. Oh, and we enjoyed our CR club level stay

 

[cdotla]

Jumping on board! I haven't caught up yet, but I will give you the full report on resort switching in 1 months' time...we will be switching twice in 10 days. Hoping it goes smoothly!

 

[swwake]

I will post replies later tonight, but I wanted to post that, after much debate and lots of number crunching, we have made our decision!

I'll be back later tonight to post our plan.

It's a real shocker!!!

 

[Native NYer]

I can't take the suspense
I have a feeling you changed resorts completely.

 

[swwake]

I've never done a split stay but I've heard that the hotel will take care of transferring your luggage to the new resort and so you don't have to worry about that.

BLT would be my choice, but I just really like the way they've designed it. I've been very impressed with all the pictures!

It would be very cool if the hotel could take care of the luggage transfer. Then we wouldn't have to make sure it's on the day we have the rental car. We really like the looks of BLT, and I've read Marshay's TR on BLT and it just looks like a dream.

So glad I could be your inspiration to go crazy with Disney math!! I've never done a split stay, but I've known other DISers that have done it. It didn't really seem like much of a hassle for them. Since you'll have a car for that day, it shouldn't be too bad. The Poly is definately my dream resort (along with the BC) but if you think it will be too much like AKL, skip it. I love the look of BLT and you can walk to MK from there. There's my 2 cents!

We really struggled because the more we thought about it, the more we thought we wanted Poly (especially over CR or BLT). In the end, I don't think it's too much like AKL.

I have often thought about a split stay, but never did it. I just like this idea of feeling at home in one place.

But I can tell you that the Poly is beautiful and while it has a similar theme, I think it still feels very different from AKL in my opinion, mainly because of its location. But be aware that the Poly's rooms are much larger, so if this is your first hotel, you might feel a bit cramped at AKL.

That would be one plus of staying in one place for the whole 6 nights. Once we're "home", we're home. We did get excited about the larger Poly rooms.

I've done quite a few split stays. There are a few hours lost in packing, moving, and unpacking, and a little disruption from being between rooms on moving day. Looking back, I never regretted the decision or felt like it was too much of a hassle.

The Polynesian is my favorite of all the resorts on the Monorail. The grounds are beautiful, the rooms are huge and the little boat to the MK is one of my favorite rides! I've mostly stayed garden view, but I can imagine that Theme Park View would be incredible. One of the nice things about the Poly is that the garden view rooms have great views too, with different options depending on which longhouse you're in. Fiji has water views from the GV rooms, either of the marina, or the lagoon looking toward the GF. I've settled on Tokelau as my favorite location. I love leaving the longhouse in the morning and walking down the beach. Ahhhh....just thinking about it makes me happy.

When I forwarded your message to Chris today, he got all excited about the Poly. I don't think we would mind not having a Theme Park view. It seems like the whole resort is really cool, no matter what your view.

We have done a split stay a few times. Disney will transfer you luggage for you, but if you're going to have a rental car, I would just suggest moving it yourself. I tend to like things done on my time schedule, not Disney's.

We've never stayed at the Contemporary or BLT, but we love the Poly. It is the most relaxing resort. In my opinion, it isn't like AKL at all.

That is so good to know that they will transfer the luggage on a split stay. Everyone seems to love the Poly. I am looking forward to staying there one day.

We did a split stay in 2008 (Poly and CR). We have another split stay for August (BLT and BWV). It's super easy to switch resorts. Bell services will move your luggage for you. I would recommend purchasing all of your tickets on the first part of your stay and just doing room only for the second part. The longer your passes, the less per day.

We loved having two different experiences, even though both were monorail resorts. The CR can't be beat for convience. We LOVED the walkway to the MK. But, as you know, I LOVE the Poly. I don't think you can go wrong with any of your choices. Oh, and we enjoyed our CR club level stay

That's a good tip on having the tickets all on the first part. When I calculated it, it would cost so much just to add one day park tickets to the second part of the trip - it would have to be weighed if free dining is offered and can be attached with the 40% discount as well. I think we would love having two different experiences too. We've done it in Vegas, and it keeps the vacation exciting. I am curious about the CR CL - as compared to Poly CL - have you stayed both?

Jumping on board! I haven't caught up yet, but I will give you the full report on resort switching in 1 months' time...we will be switching twice in 10 days. Hoping it goes smoothly!

Great to have you onboard. I can't wait to hear your report on resort-switching!

I can't take the suspense
I have a feeling you changed resorts completely.

Not quite, but close! Well, sorta. Well, maybe not close at all...